Ferencváros v Bayer Leverkusen Live Commentary & Result, 16/03/2023, UEFA Europa League

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It is back to league action for both of these sides at the weekend. Ferencvaros travel to face Zalaegerszeg while Leverkusen face Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

Goals from Diaby and Adli round off a professional performance by Leverkusen who win 2-0 on the night and 4-0 on aggregate against Ferencvaros as Alonso's side advance to the quarter-finals of the Europa League. Diaby opened the scoring after just three minutes when he finished off a clinical solo dribble which began from just inside the opposition half. Ferencvaros threatened in moments during the first half and hit the bar with a deflected effort from Traore but the Hungarian side had just two shots in the entire second half and they were made to pay for a tame performance when substitute Adli converted from Diaby's assist to add Leverkusen's second late on in the game. A clinical performance from the German side who are now in the Europa League quarter-finals for just the second time.

90' + 2' FULL-TIME: FERENCVAROS 0-2 BAYER LEVERKUSEN

K. Lisztes

Marquinhos

90' + 1' Marquinhos also makes way with Lisztes coming on in his place.

N. Frederiksen

R. Mmaee

90' + 1' Ferencvaros make a double change late on. First off is Mmaee who is replaced by Frederiksen.

90' There will be two minutes of added time to end this match.

89' Civic delivers a cross from the right after Ferencvaros win a set piece late on but none of the Ferencvaros players in the box manage to direct the cross goalwards.

K. Demirbay

R. Andrich

86' It's another Leverkusen sub as Andrich is replaced by Demirbay.

T. Fosu-Mensah

J. Frimpong

82' Fosu-Mensah is also introduced in the place of wing-back Frimpong.

O. Kossounou

P. Hincapié

82' Leverkusen make a double change in defence after the goal. First off is Hincapie with Kossounou replacing him.

M. Diaby

Assist

81' A goal and now an assist for Diaby who lays it on a plate for Adli to finish the move off.

A. Adli

Goal

81' GOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!! LEVERKUSEN DOUBLE THEIR LEAD! 2-0! It's Adli with the goal and that is surely game over. Diaby drives through the midfield before playing a defence-splitting pass to Adli. The substitute takes it in his stride and fires across Dibusz and in off the post for his side's second and they now lead 4-0 on aggregate.

B. Manner

A. Gojak

78' Ferencvaros make their first change of the second half as Gojak is replaced by Manner.

76' SAVE!! Bakker is in the thick of it again and plays a nice one-two with Adli before firing a fierce strike on goal from the edge of the box. Dibusz leaps across his goal and palms away the effort acrobatically.

74' Mmaee tries to get a cross into the Leverkusen box but Tapsoba recovers well to block the effort, albeit he does concede a corner.

A. Adli

F. Wirtz

71' Wirtz also comes off with Adli replacing the forward.

A. Hložek

S. Azmoun

71' Leverkusen make their first changes of the evening as Azmoun makes way for Hlozek.

69' Wirtz delivers a corner for the away side but Ferencvaros clear.

68' Ferencváros have lost two of their three previous meetings with Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League, although they did win the only previous one on home soil (1-0 in December 2021).

63' Civic delivers but the rising Ferencvaros players can't get enough contact on the header and Leverkusen deal with the threat. The play is recycled but Gojak's effort is partially blocked and easy for Hradecky to save as it nears his goal.

62' Right on cue, Traore provides a burst of energy down the left wing and wins a corner after his cross deflects out off Frimpong.

60' Ferencvaros are yet to have a shot on goal in this second period. That has to change very soon, one would imagine, if they are to get anything from this game.

56' SAVE! The corner bounces around the Ferencvaros box and Dibusz has to make a massive reaction save to deny a point-blank effort from Azmoun.

55' It's a beautifully worked move by Leverkusen down the left, exemplified by excellent link-up play between Bakker and Azmoun. The ball is laid off to Diaby but his strike is deflected over the bar.

52' OFFSIDE! Bakker has been getting all kinds of space on the left-hand side and almost makes Ferencvaros pay. His low cross is slammed home by Frimpong but the goal is ruled out as Bakker was offside when he initially received the ball.

50' CHANCE! An early ball over the top nearly catches Ferencvaros out again and it is the same combination of Tapsoba to Diaby as was the case with the first goal. This time the winger sends it across to the onrushing Bakker but the wing-back's shot is blocked at the crucial moment as he looks to double Leverkusen's lead from close range.

49' A slow start to the second half as Ferencvaros spray several loose passes as they chase that all-important first goal back.

46' Leverkusen get this second half underway.

That early goal could be all-too costly for Ferencvaros who now face an almighty task in this second half. They need a goal, and quick, but just one of their seven shots so far have been on target. Alonso, meanwhile, will demand more of the same from his Leverkusen side. Ferencvaros' best efforts have resulted from fortiutious rebounds and deflections and his side have threatened on the break especially through Bakker down the left and Diaby on the right. 45 minutes more like that and they will be through to the quarter-finals.

Diaby's early goal is the difference between the two sides as Leverkusen look to be on their way to the next round of the Europa League. It was a slow start from Ferencvaros which cost them and they were asleep as Diaby was picked out by Tapsoba with an innocuous ball over the top before the winger drove forward and calmy slotted past Dibusz. The home side threatened when Gojak fired straight at Hradecky from close range before Traore's deflected effort struck the bar but, as it stands, Leverkusen are 3-0 up on aggregate and have threatened to increase their lead further, with Dibusz making smart saves to deny Wirtz and Frimpong.

45' + 2' HALF-TIME: FERENCVAROS 0-1 BAYER LEVERKUSEN

45' + 1' Wirtz whips in a late Leverkusen free-kick which Ferencvarous initially clear. Leverkusen recycle the play, though, and Azmoun and Diaby combine well before the winger fires an effort wide of goal.

45' There will be just one minute of added time to end this first half.

44' Bakker delivers another threatening cross from the left by-line. Ferencvarous clear the ball only as far as Wirtz, whose curling efforts forces a strong save from Dibusz.

40' There is a stoppage in play as the referee heads over to the touchline and awards a yellow card to Ferencvaros manager, Cherchesov.

38' OFF THE BAR! Leverkusen give away the ball cheaply and Marquinhos drives forward. He squares the ball to Traore and his effort deflects off Tapsoba, loops in the air and over Hradecky before clashing against the crossbar. A huge let off for the away side and so close for Ferencvaros.

33' Bakker once again finds space in behind the right-back position but his cut-back into the box is turned behind for a corner by the Ferencvaros defence who deal with the resulting set piece.

31' SAVE!! Leverkusen finally test Dibusz since the goal. Azmoun wriggles for space inside the box but fails to get a shot off. Thankfully, the ball bounces back to Frimpong but the wing-back's shot is straight at the Ferencvaros goalkeepers who makes a smart save.

28' Mmaee drops deep to pick up the ball but when he lets fly, his effort is sliced well wide of the goal and ends up in the stands.

27' Ferencvaros have responded well since going behind with Leverkusen yet to have a shot since their goal in the opening three minutes.

24' Vecsei receives the ball in spae on the edge of the box but his effort flies well over the bar from range.

22' SAVE!! That's a massive chance for Ferencvaros as a shot deflects off a Leverkusen heel and squirms through to Gojak. His effort is straight at Hradecky, though, and the Leverkusen goalkeeper makes a vital block to keep his side ahead.

20' Traore goes on another positive burst down the left flank but the ball creeps out for a goal kick before the winger can get his cross in.

19' Traore pops up on the left now for Ferencvaros and he wins the first corner of the night for the home side. The ball bounces around but Leverkusen eventually hack the ball clear.

17' Civic whips in a ball from wide on the left but it's lacking in power and Tapsoba hacks it clear.

Marquinhos

H. Wingo

14' Wingo went down immediately after that pursuit of Bakker and the full-back has clearly injured himself. Marquinhos replaces him.

11' Bakker gets in behind the Ferencvaros defence after Wingo is caught off guard. The wing-back's cross from the side the box is cut out, though, by the Abena and the home side defend the resulting corner.

8' Traore whips a dangerous ball into the box which the Leverkusen defence are only able to clear as far as the edge of the box. Civic rushes on to the ball and unleashes a fierce strike but it flies wide of Hradecky's left post.

7' Ferencvaros have kept the ball well since going behind and Mmaee nearly latches on to a long ball inside the box from Civic but it goes just over his head and Hradecky can claim the ball.

E. Tapsoba

Assist

3' It was quick-witted from Tapsoba to see Diaby in that kind of space and the winger took advantage superbly with a solo run and finish.

M. Diaby

Goal

3' GOOOOOAAAAALLLL!! LEVERKUSEN SCORE EARLY!! 1-0!! What a start for the away side and Diaby has the vital first goal in this game. It's a hopeful ball over the top from Tapsoba but it finds Diaby in all kinds of space just inside the Ferencvaros half. The winger drives unopposed into the box and slots past Dibusz to give Alonso's side the ideal start.

1' Ferencvaros get this first half underway.

Bayer Leverkusen are aiming to reach the Europa League quarter-finals for just the second time (previously doing so in 2019-20), in what is their eighth campaign in the competition.

Alonso, meanwhile, makes three changes to his Leverkusen side after their win over Werder Bremen on the weekend. In defence, Kossounou is replaced by Tapsoba while in the forward line Wirtz and Azmoun come in for Hlozek and Adil.

Cherchesov makes five changes from Ferencvaros' 2-1 loss to Puskas Academy on the weekend. David Siger, Endre Botka, Mehdi Boudjemaa, Kovacevic and Frederiksen are replaced by Mmaee, Zachariassen, Esiti, Abena and Civic.

BAYER LEVERKUSEN SUBS: Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Odilon Kossounou, Patrick Pentz, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Adam Hlozek, Kerem Demirbay, Amine Adli, Niklas Lomb, Ayman Azhil.

BAYER LEVERKUSEN (3-4-2-1): Lukas Hradecky; Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah, Piero Hincapie; Jeremie Frimpong, Exequiel Palacios, Robert Andrich, Mitchel Bakker; Moussa Diaby, Florian Wirtz; Sardar Azmoun.

FERENCVAROS SUBS: Levente Ori, Zeteny Varga, Nikolai Baden Frederiksen, Adam Bogdan, Alex Toth, Krisztian Lisztes, Adnan Kovacevic, Marquinhos, Balazs Manner.

FERENCVAROS (4-2-3-1): Denes Dibusz; Henry Wingo, Myenty Abena, Mats Knoester, Eldar Civic; Anderson Esiti, Balint Vecsei; Kristoffer Zachariassen, Amer Gojak, Adama Traore; Ryan Mmaee.

Leverkusen, meanwhile, enter this fixture on the back of an impressive run in Europe and domestically. A monumental performance in the second leg of their play-off tie saw the German side overturn a 3-2 first-leg deficit to win 6-5 against Monaco. Xabi Alonso's side have not lost since that game and sit pretty with a two-goal advantage after goals from Kerem Demirbay and Edmond Tapsoba in the first leg.

The home side Ferencvaros have it all to do in the second leg of this round-of-16 tie after a 2-0 away defeat in the first leg. The Hungarian side sit top of the OTP Bank Liga - Hungarian's top division - but have just one win in their last six games in all competitions. A 2-1 weekend defeat to Puskas Academy failed to garner any momentum and Stanislav Cherchesov's side will need a very strong performance to upset the odds and overturn this two-goal deficit.

Hello and welcome to this live commentary for the Europa League fixture between Ferencvaros and Bayer Leverkusen from the Puskas Arena.

Ferencváros v Bayer Leverkusen Live Commentary, 16/03/2023

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